Pokémon Moon Nuzlocke Challenge: Chapter 14
By Neal Chandran

In Konikoni City, Lando treats himself to a slick new blue backpack and a new pair of stylish black shoes before checking out Olivia's gem shop. Olivia isn't there, but her Probopass gives Lando a letter to meet her at the Ruins of Life. "No prob," thinks Lando, who sees this as a new area to recruit another pokémon. A random battle with a lady there allows Lisbeth Sala to evolve into a Gyarados with Intimidate, which rocks. Right afterward, Lando recruits a lonely female Ghastly with Levitate whom he names Giggles, because of her sinister grin. Unfortunately, Lando's party encounters another Ghastly who, with a fiendish friend, uses Mean Look and Curse to eliminate Deadwood. Lando's further travels in Memorial Hill allow Lucy VanPelt to evolve into a Poliwhirl.

As Lando's walking through Memorial Hill, he encounters Faba, a foppish scientist who makes him fight off a Team Skull grunt's Raticate. This Raticate is no joke! Seriously, it takes out AquaSpectrum with a Hyper Fang before she can attack! Lando always thought she made the cutest sound, and now he will never get to hear it again.

Joey is able to get Raticate's HP down, but not before going into the red himself. Natasha is switched in but is killed by Assurance before she can use Struggle Bug! Not wanting to send in his best troops right away, Lando tries his luck with Giggles, but she is taken out by Assurance too! Lando's jaw is on the ground now! How did a mere Team Skull grunt get Trial Captain level game?!?! Giggles joins the entourage and dies practically in the next battle along with two other pokémon? This sucks. Well, Lisbeth Sala finishes the job with a couple of Tackles.

Pokemon Moon Nuzlocke Challenge - Plumeria

Now the only pokémon Lando has to face Olivia with are Lisbeth Sala, Lucy VanPelt, Joey, and Bam Bigelow. On the Akala Outskirts, Lando picks up a sassy male Gumshoos with Stakeout; but because he's feeling so dejected right now about barely having a skeleton crew and not thinking much of this new addition, Lando names it Useless Fop. As if to add insult to injury, this Team Skull leader girl named Plumeria picks a fight with Lando because he's been defeating her grunts. Little bro needs his big sis to fight his battles for him? Ugh, come on! Well, Useless Fop's Bide manages to take out Plumeria's Golbat and Lisbeth Sala brute forces her way past her opponent's Salandit.

Professor Burnet and Lillie find Lando, which is nice because Lillie heals his team in the nick of time. Kahuna Olivia then saunters out to throw down with Lando. Her Nosepass's Thunder Wave and Spark render both Lisbeth Sala and Lucy VanPelt strongly paralyzed and kill off Useless Fop. With few options, Lando launches Joey. Joey is able to get Nosepass's HP into the red, but Olivia uses a Super Potion. Lando heals up his team, but even Lucy VanPelt's super effective Bubble Beams barely scratch Nosepass. Lucy VanPelt, despite paralysis, is able to pull off a Rain Dance to make her Bubble Beams hit hard enough to finally fell Nosepass.

Olivia sends out Boldore and Lando puts in Lisbeth Sala to hopefully act as a wall so he can effectively heal the rest of the team. Lisbeth Sala has no Water type moves, so right now she's a more defensive option. This strategy almost backfires, because this Boldore hits hard enough to put Lisbeth Sala's HP in the red in two straight whacks. However, a freshened Lucy VanPelt is brought out. Rain Dance plus two Bubble Beams win this round.

Pokemon Moon Nuzlocke Challenge - Olivia

Next up is Lycanroc. Lando puts in Joey as a wall so he can properly heal Lucy VanPelt. Lycanroc unleashes its Z-Move, which leaves Joey in the red. Nice endurance! Lucy VanPelt is brought back out, but a hit from Lycanroc takes out 3/4s of her HP! Lando gives Lucy VanPelt a Super Potion, but Lycanroc hits twice before she can use Rain Dance and she dies. The only pokémon Lando has with full HP is Bam Bigelow, but he has a type disadvantage. Oh well, there's no other option now, except this Hail Mary. Lycanroc nearly one shots the cat with Rock Throw, but he hangs in there for me so I won't be sad! Lando is touched to the point of tears and quickly gives Bam Bigelow a Super Potion. The cat is thrilled to bits, but unfortunately, a Super Potion does not restore Bam Bigelow enough to survive another Rock Throw. Bam Bigelow was a wonderful cat who did not deserve to have all of his nine lives snuffed out so soon. He was the kind of cat who could change the mind of even the most obstinate dog person and make them love cats. All that's left are Joey and Lisbeth Sala, both with HP in the red. There is nothing more Lando can do, except throw in the towel.

Check and Mate. Kahuna Olivia has ended Lando's Nuzlocke Island Trial, and looked sexy as hell doing so.

And to make matters worse, Stoutland kid still won't let Lando get to the Hano Grand Resort. Lando had plans to make some serious bank Pyukumuku chucking. He could use that as leverage to rise up in the ranks of the hotel business and potentially be groomed into a management role, maybe even run the place one day and lord his own luxury hotel empire. Allowing people and pokémon luxury vacation accommodations sounds more up Lando's alley than all this capturing and battling business. Not only could he make tons of money and hobnob with high-end clientele, but he could also have a clear conscience because he would be surrounding pokémon with opulence rather than violence.

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